buchanan



2 Sheets-'Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

L.H.i399M1991 GAME APPLIANGB.

No. 503,942. v Patented Aug. 29, 1993.

. cocoa 'FMF-- l o o l o l o I ou ou 99ans nuovo. uooonw enano d ...jlllllllllllll o0 oe voooo noone cuoca nooo Witwe/Jaw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LUTHER H. BUCHANAN, OF PASADENA,`CALIFORNIA.

GAME APPLIANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 503,942, dated August 29, 1893. Application led May 15, 1893. Serial No. 474,183. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, LUTHER H. BUCHANAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Gam'e Appliance, of which the followcomprising a case provided with a coin slot.

and with a passage way leading downward from such slot; a series of coin chutes having irregular side walls extending along such passage-way and arranged in rows extending across the passage-way and increasing from the slot downward in the number of partitions in each row by arithmetical progression with a ratio of one: the partitions of the several rows being arranged alternating in vertical position and with sufficient space between such partitions or side walls of the chutes of each row and the side walls of the chutes of the rows adjacent thereto to permit the passage of a coin laterally therebetween: the tops of the walls of the chutes of each row being respectively arranged in the center of the path'of` a coin dropped through and out of the chute immediately above such walls and also arranged in alignment respectively with the tops of the corresponding side walls of the chutes of the alternate succeeding rows.

My invention also comprises the combination with the features above mentioned, of a series of coin receiving compartments arranged respectively, one beneath each chute of the lower row of chutes to receive the coin therefrom, and a series of retractiblefmgers arranged to project beneath alternate chutes, only, of such bottom row of chutes, between such alternate chutes and the coin receptacles respectivelybeneath such alternate chutes to temporarily retain the coins in the alternate chutes and to allow coins to pass through the other chutes.

My invention further comprises combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is-a front elevation of an appliance embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmental elevation of a modified form of apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a transverse Vertical section of Fig. 1.

L represents a box or'case of pyramidal shape and E represents a series of concealed coin receiving and game counting chambers or receptacles provided in the base of such case or box, the said chambers being prefer-v ably'removable in the nature of a drawer and held securely in theV base by a lock and key not shown.

D is a face plate or board secured in the front part of the apparatus and lying in the 'rearof a glass face or front J, which glass face is secured in the case and rests upon a series of pins D D extending into the plate D and arranged in alternate rows as clearly shown in Fig. l.

In the rear of the plate D and journaled vto Ythe inner sides of the box through a shaft I is a series of downwardly projecting angular 8o fingers F', the outer ends of which in their normal condition extend beneath certain of the open spaces between pairs or rows of pins D', said spaces being indicated by letters or numerals upon the outer face of the glass J as indicated by 1, 2, 2, 5, 5, the intervening spaces betweenl these projecting fingers and the additional pair or rows of pins being unprotected as shown in Fig. 1. The same shaft which carries these angular fingers F is provided with a bell crank lever F to one end of which is secured a weight H and to theother a push rod G extending to the outer side of the box L, the arrangement being such that under normal conditions the weight H causes the fingers F to remain in the position shown in Fig. 3 and check any coin in 4its descent behind some one of the numerals 1, 2, 2, or 5, 5.

C is a coin or other disk shaped body represented in Fig. 1 as descending by its own roo Weight.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The coin or disk C is dropped into the slot M at the top of the box. At the next instant it strikes upon that vertical row of pins located directly beneath it and is diverted in its downward course either to the right or the left by corresponding additional rows of pins, ultimately finding its way either into one of the open pockets E at the bottom of the box or is checked by some one of the fingers I1" dependent upon the course it takes. If the coin or disk is held behind any of the Anumerals l, 2, 2, or 5, 5, the operator may release it by simply pushing in the push rod G.

In the modified form-shown in fFig. 2 the pins D are replaced by staples `or oblong strips of metal or analogous material.

I do not limit myself to the special apparatus shown for accomplishing the results attributable to it `as it is obvious that the coin or disk C `might be replaced by a ball or cylinder and other checking yand releasing devices than the fingers F', and `other :parts shown might be substituted therefor in order to hold or maintain the `descending body behind any one of the numerals onthe glass face.

I am aware that mechanisms have hereto- 'fore been devised in which rows of pins have been alternately located .upon the surface of an inclined plane in such manner that when" a ball ora marble is set in motion at the top thereof it will run down between the pins and ultimately find its way intoa pocket having a special numeral thereon, such devices being well known in toys .andgames, and my claims hereinafter made are notbroad enough to include such` a structure.

I claim a special utility inthe combination of the retaining device behind atrahsparent front with a box or receptaclelocated beneath for the purpose of holding the disk or coinor movable body C behind agiven indicating numeral `or character. `The retaining fingers through such intermediate chutes andinto the respective receptacles beneath such chutes, so that the counting of points inthe gameis partially accomplished while the game is in progress, but a subsequent additional counting is accomplished by inspection ofthe final receptacles. That is to say it is apparent from inspection through the transparent face during the progress of the game, that certain compartments will receive coins when the iingersare retracted to allow the coins to fall from the numbered chutesl, 2, V2, 5, 5, into the concealed compartments vtherebeneath,`

but itis `not apparent from an inspection of the face of the game appliance whether any or all of the intervening concealed compartments will contain coins when the drawer is removed to allow inspection of such compartlnents: `.this increases the element of uncertainty and adds to the interest in the game.

However it is to be understood that I do not side toside of `the chutes than if the side walls were smooth, but satisfactory results are produced when the side walls are made of single tongues respectively.

`Having thus described my i1ivention,wl1at I claim, and desire to secure byfLetters Patent of the United States, is-

l. `A gameappliance comprising acaso provided with a coin slot andapassage-wayleading downward from such slot; 'a series of chutes extending along such passage-way and `arranged in rows extending across the pas sage-way `with sufficient space between the walls of the chutes of each row and the walls of the chutes of the adjacent rows to permit the passage of a coin there-between, the tops ofthe walls of the chutes being respectively arranged in the center of the path of a coin vdropped through andout of the chute immediately `above such wall Aand also arranged in alignment respectively with ,the walls of the chutes of the alternate succeeding rows ;F and a l movable stop provided with fingers arranged `toclose the bottoms of alternate-chutes in the lower row of chutes, and suitable means -for retracting the fingers from the bottoms of such chutes.

byarithmetical progression with a ratio of one `from the first row to the bottom of the passage-way: the walls of the chutes of each row being respectively arranged in alignment withthenlid-linesot' thechutes of' adjacentrows and in alignment respectively with the corresponding walls of the chutes of the alternate succeeding rows.

(A game appliance comprising a case provided with a coin slot and a chute which leads y from such slot and has irregular sidewalls: a passage-way leading downward from `such a slot: a series of pins or tongues arranged to form parutions progecting into such; passageway and adapted to divide such passage-way -into horizontal rows of short coin chutes: the

chutes of each row being arranged vertically IOO IIO

out of line with the chutes of the adjacent row, and the rows increasing in number of chutes by arithmetical progression with a ratio of one from the coin slot downward.

4. A game appliance provided with a coin passage-way having a transparent face wall and divided at its bottom into a series oi' coin chutes and provided with a series of pins or tongues arranged above such bottom row of chutes to intercept the coin in its passage through the passage-way and to direct it into one or another of the chutes of the bottom row of chutes, a series of coin receptacles arranged one beneath each chute of the bottom row of chutesto receive the coin therefrom, 15 and a series of retractible ngers arranged to project beneath alternate chutes, only, of such bottom row ot chutes between such alternate chutes and the coin receptacles respectively beneath such alternate chutes to temporarily zo retain the coins in the alternate chutes.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed rny name this 1st day of May, 1893.

LUTHER H. BUCHANAN.

Witnesses:

JOHN MoDoNALD, VERNON P. LEWIS. 

